In an important statement, Pope Benedict has stated that such theories as the Big Bang theory is evidence of God’s design. This is a far cry from the reaction to prior theories of scientists like Galileo. The statement occurs as researchers in Geneva at CERN are attempting to recreate conditions at the formation of the universe. Where is Tom Hanks when we need him?
Benedict stated “The universe is not the result of chance, as some would want to make us believe. Contemplating it (the universe) we are invited to read something profound into it: the wisdom of the creator, the inexhaustible creativity of God.”
Benedict is proving to be one of the most open Pontiffs to science. He previously rejected the notion that evolution was incompatible with the Catholic faith — a position that would seem to conflict with a literal interpretation of the Old Testament.
Source: MSNBC
Please pardon my unfortunate letter transposition above. The phrase “on friend” in my second sentence above should read, of course, “no friend”.
Don’t misunderstand me, Bud. I’m on friend or apologist for the Roman Catholics. I only want to offset any misguided equivalences between evangelical protestant approaches to scientific knowledge and that of the Vatican. In the end they’re both making extravagant claims they cannot possibly back up, and they both presume to impose implausible metaphysical interpretations on scientific findings. The mainstream protestants, by and large, seem to adopt a line similar to the Vatican’s.
guilhem,
Good one.
Ain’t it the truth…
http://www.smbc-comics.com/index.php?db=comics&id=2005
El Santo Rosario
Tony,
Another thing about catholics is that they love repetition.
The rosary and Sunday mass.
Say the same things over and over and over and over, and pretty soon you are going to believe them.
Standard brain washing.
I found the catholics especially good at getting the kids involved. I call that expanding the fleet.
Making sure next years cash would flow.
Sorry, but I view the catholic church and Rome as nothing but a bunch of cheap male broads (figure that one out) trying to act like men in business.
It’s really true that Catholics don’t read the bible much and regard the old testament with particular suspicion.
All that stuff about talking snakes, burning bushes and boats full of animals is a bit Enid Blyton, so as a young Catholic I was firmly directed by my intelligent, scientifically literate Catholic teachers towards the new testament.
There are problems there too but they’re easier to contain. Jesus is an admirable character set against the standard backdrop of first century Middle Eastern shenanigans.
Sadly the representations of Jesus’ divine nature are rather unconvincing to one grounded in the real world–doves, tongues of flame, cured lepers, and so on. And after forty days resurrected he conveniently rises up into a cloud. Really.
But at least my teachers didn’t embarrass me by trying to convince me that the common descent of all living things is an illusion. Roman Catholicism isn’t that stupid.
I though the porn industry covered this already….but the title says it all….”Big Bang theory is evidence of God’s design”…..
Tom Wood 1, January 8, 2011 at 12:46 am
“…was incompatible with the Catholic faith — a position that would seem to conflict with a literal interpretation of the Old Testament.”
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Tom, as a former catholic, I was taught that the old testament was irrelevant as it was just a collection of stories used as a story telling instrument.
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Tom Wood 1, January 8, 2011 at 12:46 am
“When I was growing up, we were told you could read it that way if you really wanted to, but it was better to read it as allegory, myth, symbolism.”
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When I was growing up, I didn’t read the bible. I had to ask the priests and nuns what everything meant. They wanted to make sure I understood their beliefs and only their beliefs.
Elaine M……..thanks for the vid it was spot on, really enjoyed it…………LOL
Tom Wood, and also for those that have no imagination or sense of wonder.
“He previously rejected the notion that evolution was incompatible with the Catholic faith — a position that would seem to conflict with a literal interpretation of the Old Testament.” Of course it is in conflict with a literal interpretation. Catholics don’t believe in literal interpretations of the Bible. When I was growing up, we were told you could read it that way if you really wanted to, but it was better to read it as allegory, myth, symbolism. Biblical literalism is more of a Protestant thing, for those who don’t know that not all Christians are alike.
Man, I’d have a lot more respect or the church if the Big Bong Theory and it’s various elaborations presented herein were correct. :-p
The Vatican has it’s own science advisor and offices and has for hundreds of years. Supressing science was never about science, it was about politics and retaining control of the great unwashed. Last year an issue of Discover Magazine had as its spotlight interview Nicola Cabibbo and might be available on their website.
From Wikipedia:
“The Pontifical Academy for Sciences
The Pontifical Academy of Sciences[69] was founded by the Roman Catholic Church in 1936 under its current name by Pope Pius XI and is placed under the protection of the reigning Pope). Its aim is to promote the progress of the mathematical, physical and natural sciences and the study of related epistemological problems. The Academy has its origins in the Accademia dei Lincei (“Academy of Lynxes”) established in Rome in 1603, under Pope Clement VIII by the learned Roman Prince, Federico Cesi (1585-1630) who was a young botanist and naturalist, and which claimed Galileo Galilei as its president. The current president is the physicist Nicola Cabibbo. The Academy is headquartered in the Casina Pio IV at the heart of the Vatican Gardens. The academy holds a membership roster of the most respected names in 20th century science, many of them nobel laureates including Stephen Hawking and Charles Hard Townes.”
I did not know this, which is why I enjoy Wikipedia so much:
“The Vatican Advanced Technology Telescope, aka the VATT, is a 1.8 meter Gregorian telescope observing in the optical and infrared. It is part of the Mount Graham International Observatory. It is situated on Mount Graham in southeast Arizona, and it achieved ‘first light’, the first starlight to pass through the telescope onto a detector, in 1993. It is operated by the Vatican Observatory, one of the oldest astronomical research institutions in the world, in partnership with The University of Arizona. …
The unusual optical design and novel mirror fabrication techniques mean that both the primary and secondary mirrors are among the most exact surfaces ever made for a ground-based telescope. In addition, the skies above Mount Graham are among the most clear, steady, and dark in the continental North America. Seeing of better than one arc-second even without adaptive optics can be achieved on a regular basis.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vatican_Advanced_Technology_Telescope